The St. Tammany Fishing Pier's hours will change to 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, starting Sunday (March 8), the parish government announced. The pier's winter hours were 6 a.m. to 5 p.m., the facility's website says. The pier over Lake Pontchartrain, south of Slidell, is at 54001 E. Howze Beach Road. The pier is free to children under 12. For... Full story »

The nearly 10-foot great white shark caught from the beach in Panama City Beach, Fla., on Sunday (March 1) wasn't the first big set of jaws to be pulled ashore on the beaches of the Florida Panhandle. Land-based anglers say the sharks they have been catching off Panhandle beaches have been getting bigger and bigger in recent years due... Full story »

The St. Tammany Parish Council will hold its monthly meeting Thursday night (March 5) at the parish government complex north of Mandeville. The agenda for the meeting is on the parish government's website at stpgov.org. The meeting begins at 6 p.m. in the council chambers at 21490 Koop Drive, off Louisiana 59 north of Interstate 12. Full story »

A term limit proposal for the St. Tammany Parish Council was rejected Monday night (March 2) by the parish's Charter Review Committee, despite some citizens' beliefs that limits are sorely needed. The panel voted 5-6 on the proposal to limit council members to three consecutive terms in office before having to sit out a term. After discussing the issue... Full story »

St. Tammany Parish government has parted ways with its first economic development director two years after the creation of the position. Parish President Pat Brister confirmed Monday night (March 2) that Don Shea is leaving parish government. On Tuesday, Brister said in a statement, "Effective this afternoon, Don Shea is no longer serving as the director of economic development... Full story »

A groundbreaking ceremony will be held Thursday (March 5) for a long-discussed multi-purpose campus north of Lacombe that will be home to Northshore Technical Community College and other organizations, St. Tammany Parish government announced. Parish President Pat Brister and others will gather at the park-and-ride facility along Louisiana 434, north of the coroner's office building, for the 1 p.m. event.... Full story »

A nearly 10-foot great white shark was caught in the surf at Panama City Beach, Fla., on Sunday (March 1), AL.com reports. The shark was photographed, tagged and released by a trio of anglers. The men were fishing from the beach around 3:15 a.m. when the shark struck one of their lines, the story said. It took about 45... Full story »

The St. Tammany Parish Charter Review Committee will meet Monday night (March 2) to consider changes to the parish's home rule charter. The meeting begins at 6 p.m. in the Parish Council chambers at the parish government complex at 21490 Koop Drive north of Mandeville. The agenda for the meeting can be found here. The committee has until April 1... Full story »

A shoplifting suspect tossed his 17-month-old daughter to the ground like a "toy doll" and left her behind with head injuries while trying to escape Slidell police on Sunday (March 1), authorities said. Lamar Causey, 24, of Baton Rouge, was quickly apprehended, and his daughter was treated at a hospital and released to family members, according to police. "Someone who... Full story »

The Fontainebleau High School Jazz Band, one of 12 from around the country invited to a prestigious band competition in Georgia, will publicly preview its program during a fund-raising performance March 13 at the Dew Drop Social and Benevolent Jazz Hall in Mandeville. The event will be held from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Admission is $10 at the door, with... Full story »

A touching video, not news about a crime, topped the Slidell Police Department's Facebook page on Friday (Feb. 27). During this year's Krewe of Selene Mardi Gras parade, police stopped the procession for a special surprise, the post says. Chris Brindell, a sergeant 1st Class in the Army National Guard, held a ring behind his back. He then got on... Full story »

The U.S. 190 bridge over the Bogue Falaya River in Covington has reopened. The bridge was closed at about 10 a.m. due to an accident, police said. Details about the accident were not immediately available. The accident apparently involved two vehicles. Full story »

The U.S. 190 bridge over the Bogue Falaya River in Covington is closed until further due to an accident, police say. Details about the accident were not immediately available. Stay with NOLA.com for more on this story. Full story »

St. Tammany Parish Councilman Steve Stefancik will hold his monthly meeting with his 11th District constituents on Wednesday (March 4) in the library of Bayou Woods Elementary School off Carroll Road west of Slidell. The meeting starts at 7 p.m. The agenda includes the following items: For more information about the meeting, contact Stefancik at 985-649-4580. Full story »

A Slidell man was sentenced to 20 years in prison Tuesday (Feb. 24) after pleading guilty to molesting a 4-year-old girl in 2012, authorities reported. Daniel Read, 35, must serve the sentence without parole, probation or suspension of sentence, District Attorney Warren Montgomery's office said in a news release. The victim and her family supported the plea agreement, the... Full story »

A garage fire damaged a house in south Slidell on Tuesday night (Feb. 24) and the occupants escaped unharmed after being alerted by smoke detectors, authorities said. No injuries were reported in the incident at 102 Theresa Court. An electrical short in the garage apparently caused the fire, according to a news release from St. Tammany Parish's 1st Fire... Full story »

The St. Tammany Parish Council's Agenda Review Committee will meet Wednesday night (Feb. 25) to go over the agenda for the council's March 5 meeting. The committee meeting begins at 6 p.m. in the council chambers at the parish government complex at 21490 Koop Drive off Louisiana 59 north of Mandeville. Full story »

Nineteen manatees were rescued Monday night (Feb. 23) and early Tuesday after they got stuck in a drainpipe in a residential area of Satellite Beach, Fla., the Orlando Sentinel reported. SeaWorld's Animal Rescue Team, government officials and the local community came together to save the animals, according to the story. The rescue took nine hours. The manatees apparently congregated in... Full story »

Term limits for the St. Tammany Parish Council and changing the makeup of the parish governing body took center stage Monday night (Feb. 23) at the Charter Review Committee meeting, but neither proposal had enough support to be put on the committee's March 2 agenda for a formal vote. Committee member Jeannine Meeds originally proposed a lifetime limit of three... Full story »